Citigroup's restructuring plan led by CEO Jane Fraser, the challenges faced by the bank, and her determination to bring significant changes. Discussion of managing layoffs, future goals including building relationships, growth in wealth management, and maintaining a competitive investment bank.
Citigroup's CEO, Jane Frazier, is leading a major restructuring plan to address the bank's challenges of a cumbersome bureaucracy and limited stock price performance.
Frazier's restructuring plan involves shifting away from the regional model, streamlining management structure, and focusing on building stronger relationships with international corporations.
Deep dives
The History of Citigroup and its Struggles
Citigroup, with its broad reach and international operations, has long struggled to compete with its peers in terms of stock price performance and overall strategy. The bank's reputation as a "financial supermarket" that offers everything to everyone has proven to be expensive and hindered by a cumbersome bureaucracy. Citigroup's CEO, Jane Frazier, aims to address these challenges with a major restructuring plan.
Jane Frazier's Vision and Approach
Jane Frazier, the CEO of Citigroup, has set high ambitions for the bank and is committed to driving significant changes. She has emphasized the need for a complete overhaul rather than superficial adjustments. Frazier's plan involves shifting away from the regional model and reorganizing the bank by product lines. She is focused on streamlining the management structure, eliminating co-managers and excessive committee meetings. Although layoffs are expected, the exact numbers have not been disclosed.
Challenges and Outlook for Citigroup
The success of Citigroup's restructuring efforts under Jane Frazier remains uncertain. The bank faces the challenge of transforming its unwieldy structure into a cohesive and efficient organization. Frazier aims to build stronger relationships with international corporations, expand wealth management, and maintain competitive investment banking operations. If the reorganization fails, there are concerns about the bank's future viability and potential calls for more drastic measures, such as splitting it into smaller entities.
In its early days Citigroup styled itself as a “financial supermarket”, a one-stop shop for all kinds of banking services around the world. But that plan has backfired in recent years. Stepping up to the challenge of repairing the bank is chief executive Jane Fraser, who announced her restructuring plan in September. The FT’s US banking correspondent Stephen Gandel and US banking editor Joshua Franklin discuss whether Fraser can turn the bank around, and if not, what happens to Citi.
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